It all started after high school, when fate (and a shared interest in scrubs and stethoscopes) brought Dom and Mark to the same nursing program at Northampton Community College. As luck would have it, they ended up in not just one, but two of the same classes: Statistics and Human Anatomy I—aka, the birthplace of their love story… and countless flashcards. Dom made the first move—sort of. She nervously asked Mark to study for their upcoming Human Anatomy exam, but in a fluster of nerves, accidentally gave him the wrong phone number. Oops. Redemption came via Twitter (the only social media he had), where she messaged him the correct number—modern romance at its finest. After they crushed their exam, Mark asked Dom out on their first date: a slice-filled night at Martellucci’s Pizzeria. From there, it was love at first pepperoni. As their relationship grew, so did their shared goals. They both landed jobs at St. Luke’s Anderson—Mark as a Med-Surg PCA and Dom as a Nutrition Service Aide (who quickly leveled up to Emergency Room Technician). The next semester, they took more classes together and officially became a couple. When Mark started the nursing program a year ahead of Dom, their dates turned into cozy study sessions with pizza rolls and mac n’ cheese. Not the fanciest meals, but undeniably theirs. After graduating from NCC, Mark became an ICU nurse and Dom an ER nurse. And then came Kona—their first (furry) child and absolute pride and joy. Soon after, they embraced adventure and bought their first home… a fifth wheel camper! They hit the road as travel nurses, taking contracts in North Carolina, Massachusetts, and eventually back to PA in Scranton—Kona in tow, always part of the crew. After a year of hiking, exploring, and camper life, they realized there’s no place like home. They settled in Bethlehem and traded wheels for walls. Dom transitioned into aesthetics nursing, and Mark joined the tech side of healthcare with St. Luke’s Epic Systems. The family grew again with the addition of Keeley, their second sweet pup and another pride-and-joy status fur baby. Dom then made a final move to become a Labor and Delivery nurse—just in time for their next chapter. For their 8th anniversary celebration, the two revisited one of their favorite pastimes from travel nursing: hiking. On Saturday, April 6th, 2024, Mark and Dom planned what was supposed to be a casual hike—nothing out of the ordinary… or so Dom thought. The weather wasn’t exactly cooperating. It was cold, windy, and the forecast promised rain. But in true determined-hiker fashion, they bundled up in multiple layers and decided, “If we don’t hike today, we’re not hiking for a while.” So off they went—rain or shine (or drizzle, which it definitely was). With Kona and Keeley leading the way, they set out on the Appalachian Trail. For those who know it, that trail doesn’t mess around—it’s basically straight uphill. After four miles of climbing, catching their breath, and telling the pups, “Just a little farther,” they finally reached the top. It was freezing. It was windy. It was perfect. Like they had done so many times during their travel nursing days, they found a clearing and set up their trusty tripod to snap a few photos. Mark hit the timer, ran back to Dom and the dogs… and then surprised her by dropping to one knee. With wind in their hair and two very confused (but supportive) dogs watching, Mark asked Dom to marry him. Dom said “YES!”—frozen fingers, wind-whipped hair, and all. It was the most beautifully chaotic, totally “them” moment—and the start of their next great adventure.